Driving apparatus for vehicles.



No. 661,815. Patented Nov. |3|9oo.

H. PREUSS. DRIVING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES.

(Application led May 26, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED vSinirns PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY PRnUss, on HAMBURG, GERMANY.

DRIVING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,815, dated November 13, 1900.

Application led May 26, 1900. Serial No. 18,095. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom zt may con/cern:

Be it known that I, HENRY PREUSS, a citi.

zen of Hamburg-Hohenfelde,residing at Hainburg-Hohenfelde, in the Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Apparatus for Vehicles or other Apparatus, (for which I have applied for patents in England, No. 7,269,

dated April 19, 1900; in France, No. 287,643,

Lthe propelling apparatus; and it eonsistsin the novel construction andv combination` of parts hereinafter. described and claimed, and

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Y Figure 1 is a side View, partly in section, of

i the pedal apparatus of a bicycle or like vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Referring to the drawings, a designates the axle or crank-shaft of a bicycle orother vehiele to be propelled by foot-power. Upon the end of this axle (one only being shown) are fixed disks b, which are provided with en` larged hubs c, which are provided with ballraces, over which are Vfitted the rings d, at- This crank has a for-` ward extension to which thepedal may be at-` tached, and also has a rearward extension,

Y provided with a weight g'su'ficient to over-V balance the pedal and normally swing the same upward when the crank is not locked to the disk b. Interposed between the top ofthe weighty and `the plate t is a slide fm, which rests upon rollers 7i; on through-bolts Z, which connect the opposite plates of the crank.`

This slide is normally thrown forward into engagement with notches n on the disk b by means ofa flat spring o, as shown; but it may be thrown and held out of engagement with the disk by means of the fingers on the lever r, which ispivoted between ears q on plate t and is provided with stop-pins r' to limit its movement.

The weight g has a cam-shaped recess on its inner side adjoining the periphery of the disk b, and in this recess is placed a ballh, which when the pedal is pressed downward will bind between the periphery of the disk and the weight g, and thus lock the crank to the disk. When the pedal isrreleased, the

weight will throw the pedal upward and the` ball will be disengaged from the disk without stopping the rotation of the latter. This ball is simply a form of `automatic clutch device for locking the crank to the disk automatically and only comes into play when the slide mis disengaged from the disk, as indicated in Fig. 1. i

If it is desired to lock the crank to the disk, leverr is turned down and permits spring 0 to force slide m into engagement with `the notches n and lock the crank to the disk permanently. When locked to the disk the pedal will be rotated as inthe ordinary bicycle. l

In climbing a hill, where more power may be required, the slide m is disengaged from the disk b, and then the pedal issimply vibrated up and down through a short arc, so as to continuously and rapidly propel the Patent, is-

l. The combination of` the shaft, the crank pivotally mounted thereon, said crank being overweighted at one end, a clutch on the weighted end of the crank for automatically locking it to the crank-shaft, and means for locking the crank permanently to the crankj shaft if desired, for the purpose and substantially as specified. i

2. The combination of the crank-shaft, the disk thereon, the crank pivoted on said shaft beside the disk, an over-balancing weight on one end, and a clutch onthe weighted end of the crank adapted to engage said disk, and means for locking the crank to the disk, substantially as described.

disk b by means of `clutch h, and thus much IOO v 3. The combination of the Crank-shaft, the and the slide disengaged from lhe disk,al1sub disk thereon, the crank pivotally mounted oni sbantiaily as and for the, purpose described. Io

said shaft. and an over-balanced Weight'J at one In testimony whereof I have hereunto set end, a slide on said Weighted end adapted my Ahand in the presence of two witnesses.

5 to lock the crank to said disk permanently, HENRY PREUSS.

means for operating said slide, and a clutch Witnesses: Y l on said Weighted end adapted to look the LEO TOLLES, crank to the disk when the pedal is depressed E. H. L. MUMMENHOFF. 

